By Scott Binnie

Sam Allardyce’s assistant expects the struggling Hammers to see a resurgence in form following their time away last week ahead of a tough fixture against rivals Tottenham

West Ham recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai will give the squad a significant boost ahead of the final 12 games of the Premier League season, according to assistant manager Neil McDonald.

The Hammers travelled to the Middle East after their 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Aston Villa extended their recent poor run of form to just two wins in their last 11 league outings, leaving them just seven points above the drop zone.

West Ham host high-flying Tottenham on Monday night and McDonald says that the team will reap the rewards from their time away.

“We are certainly looking forward to the [Spurs] game, that’s for sure,” he told the London Evening Standard.

“We have been to Dubai for a bit of warm-weather training and we have done what we needed to do, which was excellent.

“The boys have been working very hard, whether that has been running along the beach, swimming or daily sessions in the gym. It’s been really good.

“We did the same last year and we came back and only lost one out of 22 games, so that is how much going away in warm weather does for the players. It refreshes them, not only physically but mentally, and I’m sure they are raring to go and will be ready for Spurs next Monday.

“The weather has been bad here, so going to Dubai was perfect timing. Hopefully it will work in our favour and we will put in a decent performance against Spurs. We’ll certainly be ready for the game.”